we are a london club night playing indie pop, northern soul, tamla motown,
girl groups, and sixties heartbreak
next date: saturday may 27th, the phoenix, 37 cavendish square, london w1,
midday to 4pm, hdif children's disco, more info here

For more on the club's music policy, go here THIRD SATURDAY OF THE MONTH AT THE PHOENIX
The Phoenix, 37 Cavendish Square, London W1. 9pm-3am, map of the venue
is here,
£4 members £6 non-members. Membership is free! Register
hereSaturday
June 16th -The
Cure special. With Robert Smith curating this year's Meltdown
festival and
The Cure playing Hyde Park in July, this seems like the perfect time
to celebrate Crawley's finest. We'll be playing songs from across the
band's career over the course of the night, alongside our usual mix
of indie pop and northern soul. Advance tickets hereSaturday July 21st - TBCSaturday August 18th -
There's no HDIF this month.

Don't forget that
you can get the night tube home from HDIF at The Phoenix. Both the Victoria
and the Central line, which serve nearby Oxford Circus, run all night.

NEW YEAR'S EVE
After our storming NYE party at Nambucca in 2017, we're very pleased
to announce that we'll be returning to Nambucca for NYE 2018!

HDIF CHILDREN'S DISCO

We're very happy to announce
that we're putting on a HDIF Children's Disco on Sunday May 27th. We've
done the kids disco at End Of The Road for the last seven years, and
now it's coming to London! More info here

As well as HDIF,
we put on a night called Great Big Kiss, where we play northern soul,
Motown, girl groups, rock'n'roll and so on. They're at the Phoenix,
Cavendish Square, on the second Saturday of every month. The forthcoming
dates for this are as follows:

"Tortured soul
convention. Unusual but it works" - The Guardian Guide (number
four club of the week), 15/6/02
"Emotional and sincere songwriting from across the board gets the
treatment it deserves" - The Guardian Guide (number five club of
the week), 17/8/02
"London's premier indie pop Motown club" - Dotmusic
"Highly recommended club night this - especially if like me, you're
hurtling at 100 miles an hour towards 30 years of age and can remember
when there were club nights around for sensitive boys and girls who
liked their indie music a bit jangly and want to hear it mixed with
the best of Motown" - myislington.co.uk
"Digging deep into a 60s to 70s selection with the Temptations,
Beach Boys, The Shangri Las and into the 80s with The Smiths, Belle
And Sebastian - 'a celebration of an emotion in motion'. Deeeep."
- Time Out London
"Who said clubbing's dead? Pah! It's just fractioned back into
smaller parties where it's all about the music and the vibes (maan!)
This is rockin' its stockin's off!...No dollar sign aspirations in sight!"
- Time Out London (15/1/03)
"Resolution 52. I will dance to the Beach Boys and The Smiths again."
- Time Out London Critics' Choice (14/1/04)
"A success that surprised even the promoters. No bank note rolling
intentions, just a rockin' party!" - Time Out London (14/1/04)
"Absolutely the best night in the whole of the world!" - Laura
Barton, The Guardian (19/7/04)
"Rediscover your sensitive indie side at this fabby, intimate party"
- The Times, critic's pick (9/4/05)
"Legendary indie club" - NME.com (17/8/05)
"Smack bang in the middle of town, this extra special party really
knows how to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step (ie
it feels good!)" - Time Out London (13/12/05)"With a music
policy to die for ... expect a night of indiepop, sixties girl groups,
Northern Soul and Motown, all enhanced by the awkward, exuberant dancing
of the city’s twee brigade, as once a month the skinny ties come
out in force to pick their vintageheeled way towards the Jericho Tavern.
The DJing is normally spot on, second-guessing what the crowd wants
to hear before the crowd really know themselves. Good times then, this
is the closest you will come to being loved by a club night." -
The Oxford Student (25/5/06) Read the full review here"Sensitive types are devotional about this lesser known indiepop
night that wears its heart (ache) on its sleeve. Everything from The
Beach Boys and Dusty Springfield to Belle and Sebastian and, of course,
The Smiths gets played, with the overriding theme being unbridled emotion.
Bowl haircuts, rim glasses and anoraks are preferable but not essential.
A tortured soul, on the other hand, is a must." The London Paper,
Sept 2006"How Does It
Feel To Be Loved? is a twice a month extavanganza of northern soul,
revelling in the lush sound of pop from The Supremes to Orange Juice
and Dexys Midnight Runners." - Uncut website, Nov 2006"Northern Soul
has always enjoyed a strong following in the capital, and now it's not
just loved by scary vintage-wearing types obsessed with re-enacting
the Sixties to the last detail. This Brixton party offers up Motown,
Northern Soul and other Sixties favourites alongside a smattering of
indie pop" Evening Standard (4/5/07)"Sensitive indie
anthems, girl-group classics, great lost singles and the pick of the
Sarah and Postcard imprints." - Top Five Clubs Of The Week, Ed
Potton The Times (16/8/08)"HDIF's Ian
Watson delivers a wonderful mix of indie pop, northern soul, Motown,
girl groups and '60s heartbreak." - Time Out London (Sept 2008)"The venue reminds
of the birthday parties I used to attend when I was a child; in dimly
lit halls with naff décor and a little too much space to dance
– but I soon realise that this is its charm. It gives the night
its character; it’s quaint and the sparkling fairy-lights circling
the ceiling give it a certain home-made feel. It has a sense of exclusivity
to it, everything seems to have been thought out and cared for; from
its hand-crafted membership cards and badges to the stamp on my hand
as I walk in which tell me in well-thought out letters that I am ‘LOVED’.
How Does It Feel To Be Loved fulfilled everything that I hoped it would
be; it was refreshing and fun and its personal touches went a very long
way to making it stand out from the crowd. It certainly felt wonderful
to be ‘LOVED’." - Pennyblack Music (Nov 2008)"Bedsit indie,
girl-group classics, great lost singles and the pick of the Sarah and
Postcard labels, plus live turns by the Ballet, Help Stamp Out Loneliness
and Pocketbooks." - Top Five Clubs Of The Week, Ed Potton The Times
(3/1/09)
"We wouldn't really know how it feels. Best ask Ian Watson, who
once more
rounds up smitten indie and girl group classics at HDIFTBL?" Top
Five Clubs Of The Week, The Guardian (3/1/09)"Sensitive souls
who assume clubbing might not be the ideal weekend diversion for them
because they'd be better off at home cataloguing Raincoats 7" records
and sewing new buttons on to their cardigans should think again - cult
night How Does It Feel To Be Loved is the perfect nightclubbing comfort
blanket. Twee in the best possible sense, the club's staunch music policy
means that your eardrums will always survive the night intact as the
DJs pleasantly skip around from classic, soul-swelling indie and 1980s
jangle to the dancefloor friendly sway of 60s pop, northern soul and
vintage girl group giddiness - no big scary guitars or brain-bashing
techno allowed. They're also more than open to requests here, so don't
hold back on asking to hear your favourite Françoise Hardy number.
Tonight's guest DJs have been plucked delicately from lo-fi popsicles
the Wave Pictures." The Guardian (16/5/09)"C86 is um...
C09. C86 was the birth of ‘indie’ as a genre and the secret
inspiration behind every guitar ever set to ‘jangle’. And
now it’s back! Indie pop has come full circle, bringing with it
a wide-eyed generation of soppy alt.romantics ramming clubs like Twee
As Fuck and How Does It Feel To Be Loved?" NME (6/6/09)"We were in
for a treat afterwards when the How Does it Feel to be Loved night took
over the onsite marquee. Spinning the finest in heart-wrenching Northern
Soul, Motown, ‘60s girl groups and ‘80s miserablism, this
non-conformist indie disco is prime territory to spot and observe the
twee-pop dance in its glory; a sort of self-conscious pogo or half-hearted
shake; horn-rimmed spectacles and record bags bopping long into the
night." God Is In The TV, Indietracks review (4/8/09)"How Does It
Feel To Be Loved? is my favourite club night, and I really mean that.
It caters for the unashamedly twee, with a taste for 60s girl groups
(yes!), indie pop (yes!) and early soul and Motown classics (woop!).
And it does all of that without a jot of pretention. Get along to this
Soul and Sixties Special and, quite probably, check out my dance moves
when The Shangri-Las get a play." We Got Tickets (22/8/09)"Veteran London
indie-party organisers How does it feel to be loved? take over two rooms
of the legendary Brixton Windmill for a one-off '60s extravaganza. As
tonight happens to be Halloween as well, expect the rock 'n roll and
soul sounds to be supplemented by spooky songs from the era of beehive
haircuts and horn-rimmed specs. Jon Slade from Born Bad guests on the
decks and the onus is most definitely on getting up and cutting a rug
to the Shirelles, Ike and Tina Turner rather than staring at your (blue
suede) shoes all night long." Flavorpill London (31/10/09)"How Does It
Feel... is a renowned monthly club night for the twee at heart, playing
a harmonious mix of jangly indie-pop and '60s soul and pop, the latter
comprising the Motown, northern soul and girl groups traditionally beloved
of cardigan-wearing types. The standard of guest DJs is really rather
good, in the past including the likes of Stephen Street, Stuart Murdoch,
Huw Williams and Kevin Rowland, making this perfect for a weekend shuffle."
Spoonfed (7/1/11)"With a decade
of great nights under its belt How Does it Feel to Be Loved? is one
of London's most enduring and influential underground indie get-togethers."
Flavorpill (22/6/11)"How Does It
Feel To Be Loved? is a million miles away from student discos and the
lager n'landfill nights of Camden Town, instead expect to hear a smart
mix of Indie pop, Tamla motown, Northern soul, French pop, Girl groups
and Sixties heartbreak." The Quietus (16/7/11)"With one foot
in Brixton and the other in Islington, How Does It feel to be Loved
is an indie night for purists only. Dedicated to the people who worship
twee and love the dull pangs of melodrama, this monthly night has a
strict music policy that only stretches to indie pop, northern soul
and '60s girl groups. Swoon." Spoonfed (2/11/11)
"Ten years is a landmark birthday for any club night so huge congrats
go to head honcho Ian Watson, who throws a special celebratory version
of his popular HDIFTBL night with his usual and wonderfully twee mix
of indie pop, northern soul, Motown, girl groups and '60s heartbreak
with guest DJ tonight Bob Stanley from the recently-returned Saint Etienne."
Time Out (18/4/12)
"How Does It Feel To Be Loved, a club night described by Laura
Barton of the Guardian as 'Absolutely the best night in the whole of
the world!', is ten years old this weekend. With a tag-line of ‘From
the Smiths to the Supremes’ it’s the music policy that shapes
the club; indie-pop and soul draw a quietly hip bunch of revelers. Best
of all they are just so friendly; no aggro or posturing here –
it’s all crooked smiles and handclaps. As well as the fortnightly
events in Soho and Brixton, founder Ian Watson runs the How Does It
Feel record label, which has released albums by Cats on Fire, Pocketbooks
and Butcher Boy. And the HDIF website is a treasure trove of indie fun
with a highly-recommended podcast, a London Gig Guide and a even a Twee
Test." For Folk's Sake (20/4/12)
"If I could live my life at a How Does It Feel To Be Loved night,
I would. It’s (usually) held in a lovely pub in central London.
It’s full of friendly people who enjoy listening to indie pop
and Motown, having a lovely drink, having a lovely dance, and smiling
at each other. The organiser, Ian, has the air and DJ manner of somebody
who knows more about music than John Peel did, sends wonderful reminder
emails, and does some pretty special dancing come the end of the night.
Their tenth birthday sees Bob Stanley (out of Saint Etienne) as guest
DJ, and a band T-shirt dress code. Best of all, their imaginative re-entry
hand stamp means you’ll go home branded with the message ‘LOVED’.
Book a ticket immediately. Unless it’s your mum’s birthday
or you only like dubstep, in which case you’re excused."
Le Cool (21/4/12)
"Ian Watson's unusual and wonderfully twee mix of indie pop, northern
soul, Motown, girl groups and '60s heartbreak - now in its tenth year
- always makes for a great night out." - Time Out (22/9/12)
"Swoon along to The Smiths and excitedly twiddle hair slides to
a selection of indie pop, northern soul, Motown and 60s girl groups
at Brixton’s longest running indie club." - Brixton Buzz/Lambeth
Weekender (5/10/12)
"How Does It Feel To Be Loved has, since 2002, easily been one
of London’s best club nights. Its unpretentious and welcoming
nature, often fuelled with everything from Belle & Sebastian and
Orange Juice to Tamla Motown and Dusty Springfield, swipes away any
negative connotations our capital has for being a cold, brutal and rather
heartless place." - Music OMH (31/3/13)
"If you’re looking for something raw and soulful on a night
out in London, an antidote perhaps to the blood and thunder of trend-obsessed
hipster hangouts, then a humble eleven year-old club night by the name
of How Does it Feel to be Loved? might well set you on fire. The clubnight
is run by ex-Melody Maker writer Ian Watson, and rings with the poetry
of outsider pop music, affectionately merging Motown classics and obscurities
with the classics of popular indiepop and the kind of awkward, often
shambling guitar-based indiepop music that’s been left in the
shadows by the market-driven mainstream music media." - Roar (18/9/13)
"Much-loved indie-pop institution, a club night which shuns britpop
and shoegaze in favour of the fey and bittersweet, making for a readymade
school disco vibe which is readily swallowed up by its followers"
- The Quietus (7/1/14)
"HDIF's Ian Watson delivers a wonderfully twee mix of indie pop,
northern soul, Motown, girl groups and '60s heartbreak with guest DJs
for each date. The night has now moved back to its original home, the
Buffalo Bar, and you can expect the basement bar's dancefloor to be
packed with bearded guys and cardiganned gals dancing as if their vinyl
collection depended on it." - Time Out (17/7/14)
"Ian Watson and guest DJs deliver a wonderfully nostalgic mix of
indie pop, northern soul, Motown and '60s heartbreak at this much-loved
club night. After the closure of the Buffalo Bar, where HDIFTBL was
located, the night has moved to a new home, Dalston's Shacklewell Arms.
As ever, the dancefloor should be packed with bearded guys and cardiganned
gals dancing as if their vinyl collection depended on it." - Time
Out (5/1/15)
"David Gedge of The Wedding Present DJs at this popular club, which
supplies the loyal crowd with indie, Motown and northern soul."
- Time Out, Critic's Choice (14/1/15)
"Impeccable indie club night How Does It Feel To Be Loved? relocates
to The Shacklewell Arms in Dalston tonight, with David Gedge from the
Wedding Present on the decks. Expect tracks from the likes of The Smiths,
The Shangri-Las, Hefner, Jonathan Richman and Aztec Camera." -
Londonist (16/1/15)
"This much-loved club night was re-homed after the closure of indie
haven the Buffalo Bar, where it spent a good few years. Now in Dalston's
Shacklewell Arms, the dancefloor is still packed with dapper crowds
who dig grooving to the wonderfully nostalgic soundtracks on offer.
Dance as if your vintage vinyl collection depended on it." - London's
Best Indie Clubs, Time Out (29/1/15)
"This Friday night, dress up in your hippest vintage threads and
head to the most legendary indie club night How Does It Feel To Be Loved
at The Shackewell Arms. Playing the soundtrack to your soul (indiepop
jams, northern soul tunes and throwback 60s music) you’ll dance
the night away without a care in the world. There’ll be plenty
of love going around with special guest DJ Bill Botting of All Darlin’,
a performance by dancers The Britpopettes, and it being HDIF 13th birthday
party celebration." - Le Bonbon London (17/4/15)
"At any given HDIF you’re likely to be plied with juggernaut
indiepop hits like ‘This Charming Man’ to lesser-known-but-nonetheless-worshipped
anthems such as the Magnetic Fields’ twee romp ‘The Luckiest
Guy On The Lower East Side’." - East End Review (20/10/15)
"The long-running indie night parks up in Peckham, supplying the
kind of indie-pop, Motown and vintage grooves that we’ve all come
to love it for." - 21 Amazing New Year's Parties, Time Out (27/12/15)
"This northern soul and indie pop institution welcomes Kevin Rowland,
he of Dexys Midnight Runners fame, back for the fourth time to grace
the Phoenix with a DJ set and - fingers crossed - another singalong.
The setlist may talk heartbreak but most woes can be healed with a healthy
dose of jangly guitars and soulful pop." - Time Out (28/6/16)
"This hugely popular night knows there are few better ways to enter
2017 than with a soundtrack of classic sixties soul and the most danceworthy
janglepop and shimmering indie tunes. As is tradition, the first hour
will be dedicated to those people who have passed away this year –
so quite a few options for founder Ian Watson, who will be joined by
guest DJ Darren Hayman in unleashing a nostalgic soundtrack on the assembled
– and well-turned out – masses." - Time Out (14/12/16)
"Chris Stride from Sheffield's legendary Offbeat club night is
behind the decks at this Saturday's How Does It Feel To Be Loved, at
The Phoenix near Oxford Circus. Bop the night away to the ilk of Hefner,
Beach Boys and Supremes" - Londonist (17/2/17)
"The entirety of The Smiths' album Strangeways, Here We Come peppers
the set at tonight's How Does It Feel To Be Loved? club night. Dance
to classics including I Started Something I Couldn't Finish and Girlfriend
in a Coma. Other tracks — from indie jangle-pop to Motown —
means there's more to this night than big quiffs and gladioli."
- Londonist (14/7/17)
"Buzz is delighted to see Brixton indie club veterans How Does
It Feel To Be Loved returning to the ‘hood. Originally based in
the Canterbury Arms before the Victorian boozer was needlessly flattened,
the club is hosting a special one-off at the delightful Courtesan restaurant/bar
in Atlantic Road. The venue is something of an undiscovered Brixton
gem, with beautiful period details, intimate lighting, a sprung wooden
dance floor and an artistic, speakeasy vibe. Hosted by the indefatigable
Ian Watson, guest DJs for the night will be David and Franic of The
Wave Pictures. The capacity is only 120 people, so be sure to get there
early!" - Brixton Buzz/Lambeth Weekender (1/10/17)
"For more than 15 years, indie disco institution How Does It Feel
To Be Loved? has been uniting beret-wearing boys and girls on the dance
floor to the strains of the music world's finest, with its regular nights
dedicated to leading lights from across genres and ages. In March, to
coincide with the band's upcoming tour, they'll be paying homage to
Scotland's finest self-deprecating indie-poppers Belle & Sebastian."
-Time Out (30/1/18)